“Jewish Olympics”, Pre-Season Games, and Ladies Night!

The Olympics are over and plenty of rugby hints mixed into the games, including the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir singing the Olympic Anthem (may they think it’ll bring the nation luck in the next games). The Olympic Flag is now in Rio home of the 2016 Olympics and rugby’s glorious return to the games. The Para Olympics are getting underway and the third event the Olympic Committee over sees is the world’s third-largest international multi-sport sporting event the Maccabiah Games. The games are held in Israel every four years and the USA is looking for U19 Players to be God’s “Chosen Ruggers” for the games. Maccabi USA (MUSA) is accepting applications for the Junior (U-19) rugby 7s team. If you are of Jewish Decent on either side of your family, and born between 1995 and 1996, you can now apply for the team. The team will not only represent the USA, but the 12 selected for the squad will train together and tour historic sites in Israel. In the past, since the sport was introduced to the games, the USA has medaled every time including a gold in 1997. Interested players should apply online at www.maccabiusa.com and email Coach Liberman at jliberman@utexas.eduThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. THE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS September 15, 2012.

Here in Chicago we’re not quite prepping for 2016, but the start of the fall season. A few teams have had their fall kick off parties and pub crawls. The Wapiti had their first clinic with the Griffins out to help. Other teams have started practice and pre-season meeting, and this Friday Night, the Chicago Blaze will host the South Side Irish in their preseason Ladies Night Game. Ladies night is a great time to bring out your girls friends, get dress up, have a few drinks and support some of your local rugby guys as they get ready for the fall season to start. You may want bring some mosquito repellant, but the Blazepitch is definitely one of my favorite places to watch a game. The Blaze have a new head coach and it will be exciting to see how the team has come together after many players participated in a tough 7s season.

As I always encourage, now if the time to start looking into what clubs you want to join, or what teams you’d like to help out. The Blaze has Chris Folland as their new head coach, but are also looking for assistant coaches. University of Chicago Women, are also looking for someone to dedicate time to help coach this season. iYRA wants people who are interested in helping youth develop in after school programs, and it doesn’t matter how much experience you have. Marquette Park will be have a weekly rugby class from mid-September until the beginning of December. I hope you are all ready for the fall, and hope to see some people out Friday night at the Blaze Pitch.

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Meet The Blogger

Stephanie Esposito

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. Got hooked on rugby in 2003, played college, CARFU and with Chicago North Shore Women's Club. Love the rugby community, traveling around and being able to find rugby friends where ever I roam.